A 41-year-old Nigerian national was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) at the Belonia railway station in Tripura, India, for illegal crossing.
The accused identified as Francis Odoko was arrested by personnel of the 43rd Battalion of Belonia BOP around 8:30 PM on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Mrinal Kanti Bhowmik, Officer-in-Charge of the GRP Police Station confirmed that Odoko arrived at Belonia railway station with the intention of illegally crossing into Bangladesh.
During the arrest, security forces recovered four mobile phones from Odoko’s possession — three Android smartphones and one keypad mobile phone — raising concerns over the nature of his intentions and activities in the area.
According to BSF officials, Odoko was initially brought to their camp for preliminary questioning.
He was later taken to Belonia Police Station, from where the local police advised that the suspect be handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP), given the jurisdiction of the arrest location.
On Saturday, April 12, the BSF formally handed over the Nigerian national to the GRP, who have since registered a case against him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Passport Act. The accused was produced before the Belonia Court the same day.
Providing further details on the suspect’s background, Bhowmik said was arrested and imprisoned for three years for cybercrime in 2021.
“Francis Odoko revealed during preliminary interrogation that he came to India in 2019. In 2021, he was arrested by Chandigarh Police in connection with a cybercrime case and was subsequently imprisoned for three years in Chandigarh jail,” Bhowmik stated.
According to police sources, Odoko was released from jail in November 2024 and had since been residing in various Indian cities, including Delhi.
He reportedly has a wife and children in Nigeria, and according to one of his Nigerian acquaintances, he had recently traveled from Delhi to Agartala by train, arriving at Belonia railway station with the intention of illegally crossing into Bangladesh.
The motive, as suspected by the authorities, was to find a way to return to Nigeria via Bangladesh.
The arrest has sparked a wave of concern in the region, especially given Odoko’s alleged past in cybercriminal activities. Law enforcement agencies are now investigating whether he continued to engage in cybercrime operations after his release from prison.
“The arrest of a foreign national involved in such a serious offense at a sensitive border area like Belonia is alarming. We are looking into whether he had local contacts or accomplices helping him in this attempt,” a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.
The case has now been handed over to judicial authorities, and further legal proceedings are underway.
